1890's Seattle City Clerk's Office letterhead. Seattle Municipal Archives. General Files.
About the Office of the City Clerk
Our Guiding Principles
- Commitment to Public Service
- Promoting Civic Education and Participation
- Openness, Transparency, and Accountability
- Efficient Stewardship of Public Resources
- Equal Access and Fairness
The Role of the City Clerk
This public office is responsible for administering the City's legislative process; serving as steward of official City records; managing and making accessible the City's historic records; providing information and research services to City staff and the public; providing records management support to all City departments; overseeing public disclosure of Legislative Department records under the State Public Records Act; and providing administrative, technology, and human resources support to the Legislative Department.
Historical Perspective
City Clerks are partners in democracy. One of local government's oldest professions is the municipal clerk. The City Clerk's role has expanded over the years, and, today, modern technology greatly supports their increasing responsibilities. Clerks support the administration and management of the legislative process and the accountability of government to the people. Over time, Municipal Clerks have increasingly become the information hub of local government and a direct link between the citizens and their government. The Clerk often serves as the historian of the community and maintains the historical archives of the city and its people.
Seattle's first City Charter allowed for a Clerk of the Common Council to be elected by the Council. In 1875, the position of City Clerk became elective and remained so until 1896, when the new Charter designated the Comptroller ex-officio City Clerk. The Comptroller served as City Clerk through 1992. A 1991, City Charter amendment transferred the Comptroller's function to the Department of Finance and the City Clerk's Office became a division of the Legislative Department effective in 1993.
In 1984 and in 1994, Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, respectively, signed a Proclamation officially declaring Municipal Clerks Week the first full week of May and recognizing the essential role Municipal Clerks play in local government. Information about the Office of the City Clerk translated:
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